THE PINION Vol. 89, No. 3
November 12, 2010
McKINLEY HIGH SCHOOL’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Changes coming in state assessment Sophomores scheduled to take first test this month
by Oliver Lam The Hawaii State Assessment (HSA) has been administered at Hawaii schools annually for the past eight years to test students’ proficiency in math and reading. This year, testing will begin on Nov. 15. The test is part of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) passed by former President George W. Bush, and is designed to provide all students in the United States with a proper education by setting academic standards. The exam has undergone several changes for this school year. One change is an increase in the
“I think we are going to see an improvement in our scores.”
Principal Ron Okamura
required level of proficiency rates in order for schools to meet Annual Yearly Progress (AYP). Last year, the required proficiency was 58% for reading, and 46% for math. This year, those requirements will raise to 72% in reading, and 64% in math. In addition, the HSA will now include a science section in addition to the usual math and reading portions. Furthermore, all test sessions will be taken online and students will be given three chances to take each test to meet proficiency. So how will these changes affect our students’ performance on the test? While we may not know the answer to this question, we do know that during the 2009-2010 school year, more McKinley students met HSA standards than in previous years.
The proficiency rates of Limited English Students in particular improved dramatically. Since 2008, their passage rate in the math section has gone up 12.4 % from a rate of 35.6% to 48%. Meanwhile, their proficiency in the reading section has increased by a full 23.3% from 36.1% to 59.4%. “[All of] the students are starting to take the test more seriously,” stated Student Group
change in attitude of both teachers and students.” He stated, “We are now starting to look at this [meeting test proficiency levels] as can versus cannot.” The principal believes that the improvement in our scores has raised morale among staff and students going into the next test. “I think we are going to see improvement in our scores,” said Okamura, “[because] everyone can learn.”
Reading Proficiency Rates 58 % was passing
Math Proficiency Rates: 46 % was passing
2008
2009
2008
2009
36.1
59.4
35.6
48
All 10 graders statewide All MHS 10th graders MHS Limited English
Needs Assessment Coordinator Lisa Panquites. She explained that students have been spending more time in completing the test, which she hopes means that they are putting more thought into their answers. Panquites tries to mentally prepare sophomores for the exam by speaking with them before the assessment is given. “I tell them that they should take pride in their answers,” said Panquites. She also presents the sophomore class each year with statistics comparing MHS results to those of other campuses. (Based on the 2009-10 scores McKinley, is currently ranked third among public schools in Hawaii for its performance on the math section, and 22nd for reading) Panquites hopes to inspire students to put forth their best effort when taking the HSA. “It was a whole school effort,” said Principal Ron Okamura who also attributes our school’s test improvement to “a
It appears that our past success has inspired current sophomores to put forth their best effort on the upcoming test “Seeing my junior and senior friends perform well on the H.S.A makes me want to work hard too,” said Sophomore Kelly Sunabe. “It would look bad if our school’s performance worsened, so I want to do my part in improving it.”
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2 THE PINION November 12, 2010
MHS Gets Spooked
Edward Sariol has decorated the Business Office for two years in a row. He decorates to help kids embrace the Halloween spirit. He was pleased when a girl playfully screamed when seeing his decorations. He is planning to decorate for future holidays, too. Photo above by Wayne Wu. Photo to right by Kendra Hiromoto
Have you ever encountered a ghost? Janie Smith did and here is her story. I had just finished watching Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook, at Ward Theater. It was touching, and I must say that Ryan Gosling guy wasn’t that bad-looking either. It was kind of sad that she couldn’t even remember him when she got old, I squeezed Tom’s hand, never wanting to forget him. My boyfriend and I have been through a lot together. But I digress. It was like 11 o’clock at night and I was tired. Before I could go to sleep, I had to go home and home was all the way in Kahala. The Number 1 bus would still be running; even this late. We decided to go through McKinley’s campus because it would be a shorter walk. I began to tell Tim a story I had heard about a ghost on the campus. This old homeless man was mobbed between B and C Buildings. He had a birthmark that resembled a heart on his right cheek. His injuries were so severe that he died, but his death was never acknowledged. No one would miss him anyway. Go to myhsj.org/pinion to read the rest of this thrilling tale by Stacia Mahi.
Editorial
Virtues of voting by: Bradley Suda It’s November, that time of the year when people gather together around warm fireplaces and their respective voting stations. One place is to sit, give thanks, and eat a large turkey dinner. The other is to review, mark, and vote for the next set of people who are going to “run this town.” To the average teenager with a driver’s license, election time means just one thing, more time to honk at sign waivers! Yet the democratic process, our republican government, and the civic responsibility of voting that so many have fought to gain and still die
to achieve, is much more than merely another Scan-Tron test. It is the power to promote your ideas, the freedom to live how you want, a means to ensure what you want done gets done. So, by that passion, the McKinley Civics Club in the last weeks of the first quarter tried fervently to register this year’s seniors, who will be next year’s voters, into the Hawaii elections system. The turn-out was great with a total of 120 applications turned in. These students are commended for their show of responsibility in participating in our democratic process. We would like to encourage all seniors to get involved and
register so that the future government of Hawaii will reflect the ideals of the people, not the interests of politicians. In a time where, in the Middle East, going out to vote means the possibility of being killed by a car bomb, in a time where you can’t access Google in China because of government censorship, in a time where, in South Africa, groups of people are being exterminated by drug lords who have more control of the government than the president, we in America have it easy. We have safety, freedom, and the opportunity to elect our leaders. All it takes is your vote. (Suda is the president of the Civics Club.)
November 12, 2010 THE PINION 3
Tuberculosis found on campus by Oliver Lam An active case of tuberculosis was found at McKinley High School. On October 13, newsletters informing students and their parents, of the infection were distributed. “I was pretty surprised,” said Jasmine Cho (12). “You always hear about it at other schools, but I never expected it to happen here.” Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne disease in which Mycobacterium tuberculosis germs infect the lungs. Anyone can contract this sickness either by staying in close proximity to an infected person in a confined area, or by coming into contact with the disease (which is present usually in city dust) while their immune system is in a weak state. TB can spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. Those who have TB may show symptoms of a severe and prolonged cough, cough up blood or mucus, display weakness and fatigue,and experience fever, chills, and night sweats.
All public school students and employees in Hawaii must have a TB test before entering school. If they test negative, it means that no tuberculosis bacteria is present in them. Those who test positive for tubeculosis are carrying the infection and given medicines to kill off the germs, but they are not sick. Only if a person is labeled as having tuberculosis disease does it mean that they are sick and contagious. Thus, it comes as a great surprise that a tuberculosis sick student could even set foot on campus. Is the TB test requirement really protecting us? According to Principal Ron Okamura, the TB testing is helpful, and that only one student on campus is sick with it. “It’s happened at other schools before, and we want people to know that we are taking the necessary precautions [and procedures] in dealing with this.” Okamura said tuberculosis is very difficult to contract for it cannot survive in the open air for sustained periods of time. “I feel really confident that we
won’t find any other cases,” assured Okamura, who reminds us to remain calm. “Many of the places we have on campus are very well-ventilated,” and the disease is something controllable and very curable [with medicine] as long as we catch it early.” People in Hawaii are more likely to contract diseases such as tuberculosis because it is a tourist state. Foreigners traveling to the islands may be carrying viruses with them. Getting a case of TB on campus (or other diseases) “isn’t a matter of if, but when,” said Okamura, “Any disease could come through [Hawaii] and people need to be aware of that.” A strong and healthy person is less likely to contract this disease than a weak, unhealthy, and tired person. It is therefore important to eat healthy meals and exercise.
Get organized with Binder Blues
by Amanda Muramoto This year marks the third year of Binder Blues, the Japanese Club’s school service project. Binder Blues was created to help students have a more organized binder and leading to increased student achievement. Japanese Club adviser, Sandra Oda, said a disorganized binder can hurt a student’s grades. Having an organized binder makes it easier to find your work and study. The first session of Binder Blues for this school year was held on Monday, Sept. 20. A junior who came in said it helped him “become more organized and keep track of my work for each class.” Club members are available after school on Mon. in E206. The money for the supplies comes from Japanese Club fundraising and a 2009 Good Idea Grant. Oda said Japanese Club volunteers are present to “help students help themselves” organize their binders. “If a student is disorganized and lacks supplies,
Illustration by Alice Oshiro (11)
Binder Blues seeks to help him/her,” she said. For this school year, the club plans to add a new strategytake Binder Blues to study halls on campus “instead of them coming to us,” said Kat Duran (12), this year’s chairperson of Binder Blues. Athletics and Special Education are two groups with organized study halls. The Japanese Club will offer to take their services to the students who attend these study halls. Oda said students who come for help should not think that coming once will solve their disorganization. She encourages students to return when their binders start to get disorganized again.
4 THE PINION November 12, 2010
Teen auditions for Idol Jasmine Chun Fat shares her experience
A
by Stacia Mahi Tiger once a Spartan went and auditioned for the wellknown show, American Idol. Junior Jasmine Chun Fat transfered from Maryknoll High School this year. Soon after arriving at McKinley High School, she took a few days off to fly to San Fransico, California, for the Idol auditon. Her hanai aunty, Jennifer Gould, wanted her to go just to see what would happen. And so it was Chun Fat’s hanai family that funded her
entire trip. The first day was dedicated to getting the ticket and wristband so they could audition. The second day was the audition. Chun Fat was nervous. “After waiting that long, it’s scary because you could get denied in less then 10 seconds,” Chun Fat explained. There are three stages to the auditioning. First you sing to a panel of judges. If these judges like you, then you advance to the second stage. This is where you sing in front of the Executive Producer. If he approves of the
contestant, you are allowed to perform for the celebrity judges. Chun Fat being a singer was no surprise to her family. When Chun Fat was a baby, she would literally hum herself to sleep. Despite this natural talent, Chun Fat had never sang alone in public before she has been involved in music. While at Maryknoll, she was back up vocals in a music ministry group. In fact, she did not perform in public until the American Idol auditions. She auditioned mostly to please her aunty. On audition day, of course, Chun Fat had stage fright. She quickly got over that obstacle as she stood in front of the first panel of judges singing “How to Touch a Girl” by Jo-Jo. She chose all her songs according to how much range each had. Originally Chun Fat was to sing only 20 seconds of the song. Instead, the judges asked her to sing all the way through. After she finished the song without faltering, they asked another song of her, and so she picked “Slow Motion” by Kareena. Again, Chun Fat was asked to sing the whole song. Chun Fat was eliminated after stage two. A 23-year-old who, like Chun Fat, sang two songs, each 20 seconds long, advanced in the compeition when Chun Fat did not. Although the show’s minimum age requirement is fifteen, 16-yearold Chun Fat believes the show carefully considers the responsibility they take on with younger contestants. A judge had suggested that she audition again when she is 18. She doesn’t think she’ll do it. “It’s such a hassle,” she said. Besides, her future goals lie more in theater.
Pinion Staff
Adviser: Cynthia Reves, Editor: Oliver Lam Reporters: Peiru Lu, Stacia Mahi, Amanda Muramoto
Special thanks to Nancy Wilcox and her photography students
Publication Information
Chun Fat is enrolled in guitar classes at MHS. She began teaching herself last year. She is also studying piano. She is interested in acting in or producing theater. She said musical skills will benefit her in pursuing this dream.
THE PINION is published by the Newswriting Staff and printed by the Reprographics Learning Center. The Pinion McKinley High School 1039 South King Street Honolulu, HI 96814 Email comments or questions to mhspinion@gmail.com